Permafrost
by Shatterr
Summary: It's been eight years since Jamie met Jack. He hasn't seen him in four. Switches timelines each time there is a break. M/M, bennefrost
1. Chapter 1

"Jack Frost..more like Jack Ass..." Jamie sighed, staring out his window. It was December 7th and still no frost. In fact, it was freaking 68 degrees outside.

It hadn't been a bitterly cold Winter for...

Honestly, it hurt to think about how long it's been since he's seen Jack. He used to come every year. Jamie would count the days until Winter came: and sometimes, it would even come a little early, _just for him_, Jack would say...

He shivered.

No, he didn't. He wasn't...cold. He couldn't be cold, he didn't want to be cold, so he wrapped his blanket around himself tighter, because cold was Jack...

And it _hurt_ to think of Jack.

"Heh, Jack Ass..." He chuckled, closing his eyes, leaning his forehead against the cold window, enjoying the way it felt, because it reminded him of his-

Wait. What? Cold?

The window was _cold_?

His eyes opened, and he sat up, surprised to see not only his own breath in front of him, but the window starting to freeze over, ice crackling gently, lovingly, across the glass. Jamie's breath got caught in his throat, he couldn't speak, he couldn't make a noise, he just stared as the beautiful frost stretched itself over the length of his entire window.

"J-ja-jack?"

The face of the boy just mentioned appeared on the other side of the window, his hand pressed against the glass. Jamie's hand trembled, and he moved it to press up against where he saw Jack's, utterly stunned.

* * *

"Wowww, Jack!"

"Do you like it?" Jack shifted his weight, his hands in his hoodie pocket, looking shyly at the boy as he examined the snowglobe made of ice, with real snow sparkling around the inside. On the base, "Jamie" was engraved.

"Yeah! Yeah, it's sooo _epic_!"

"I'm glad..."

Jamie shook it a couple more times, his brown eyes gleaming with joy as he watched the snow fall inside the globe. Jack flew next to him, and sat gently on the bed next to him. He put down his gift and looked at the guardian.

"You know I love you." Jack whispered, wrapping his arm around the boy.

Jamie mumbled a reply, blushing a little and looking bashful as he let the teen embrace him.

"Never forget that, okay? That I love you, Jamie. You love me, too, right?" He kissed the boy's cheek as he nodded shyly. "You won't forget, right?"

"Right..."

* * *

"Jack...I thought I'd never see you again." he choked, his hands trembling as they moved to unlatch the window, watching him fly inside with the same wonder as eight years ago.

"Jamie, I'm sorry, I've been so busy...not a day went by when I didn't think about you."

Tears rolled down his cheeks. "You haven't been here for years! Yet I stayed here by this stupid window, every single night from October to March! You've never came, you've never even said goodbye, or even why you stopped coming..."

"Jamie..." he reached out, touching his wet cheek, making him truly shiver in a delictable way that he hadn't in so long, "...when the moon goes away, do you stop believing in it?"

He sobbed, pushing him away, laying down on his bed, sobbing into his pillow. Jack sat next to him, rubbing his back gently, feeling about to cry himself. "I...this isn't how I thought we'd be reunited."

"D-did you think I was going to be all.." he sniffed, rubbing his nose and sitting up, glaring at the guardian, "...all _happy_?! You _abondoned_ me, Jack! The Easter Bunny, The Sandman, Santa, everyone...even the _tooth fairy_ still visits, but you...the one I actually really _cared_ about.."

"I didn't want to _hurt_ you, Jamie. I couldn't have you daydreaming about_ fairy tales _all your life. You needed to _grow up_. And I knew I'd _get in your way_."

"You're _NOT _a fairy tale! YOU'RE REAL, THAT'S WHAT _YOU'VE_ TAUGHT ME!" he screamed, sobbing before getting up and running out of the bedroom and to his bathroom, slamming the door. Jack heard his mother questioning and his sister crying, his dad grumbling and his dog barking.

Jack never left it all night, hiding behind the window until he fell asleep, then moving next to him on the bed, watching the one boy he cared about most cry himself to sleep.

* * *

"But I don't wanna sleep, Jack...I wanna play with you _all night_."

"Don't worry, I'll still be here when the sun comes up! I promise." His cold fingers tangled in the brown hair as he stared down lovingly at him.

"But I wanna play..."

"We'll play when you wake up..just go to sleep. I'll even lay down with you, see?" Jack laid next to him, outside of the covers, wrapping his arms around the boy as tight as he could, making him give that happy _shiver _that both boys really enjoyed feeling. "You cold?" he chuckled gently into his ear.

"Yeah..in a good way." Jamie smiled, closing his eyes and clinging onto Jack's wrist, holding him close.

* * *

"I'm fine, Mom..."

"You're staying _home_, Jamie. The cold's going around, you must have caught it when you were out with your friends the other night...I told you not to be running around so late."

"Mom, it was like, 80 degrees out. I'm-ACHOO-fine!"

"You're staying home." And she left, leaving him alone in bed, nose red and runny with a box of tissues at his side.

Jack joined them.

"You..." Jamie mumbled, glaring at him, "...you were here last night? What did you _do_ to me?"

"I didn't...do anything. I just watched you sleep, like I used to..."

"I...I don't need you to watch over me. Remember, I'm an _'adult'_?!"

"I'm sorry, Jamie! I said the wrong words, I'm stupid, you know I am, and sometimes I mess up, in fact, I mess up all the time, and I don't _deny _that!"

"I haven't gotten sick for years..."

Jack swallowed hard, putting his hand to the teen's cheek.

* * *

"_Achoo_!"

"Oh no...Jamie, did I make you sick?" Jack whimpered, touching the boy's cheeks, staring intently into his eyes, his own full of worry, brow furrowed.

"I think I'm sick...just a li'l..." Jamie whimpered, looking back into the big, blue eyes, then closing them to give a big yawn, and then another sneeze.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..."

"Don't be~!" He swatted his hand away before using it to cover his mouth for another sneeze. "I'm a _man_! No cold's gonna kill me!"

Jack let out a laugh, moving his hands up from his cheeks to his hair. "Plus, you get to get outta school, right?"

"Yeah!"

* * *

"I promise, Jamie, I'm never going to let you go ever again."

**A/N:** Your reviews mean so much to me! Thank you so much! Please, if you have any cute situations you would like Jack and Jamie to be in, do tell me! I'd really love to hear them and incorporate them. Also, I'm really not sure what kind of fandom this is, so I'm treading lightly on the sexual references. If you guys could tell me what you thought about that sort of thing (in this particular pairing), it would be highly appreciated. Thank you!


	2. Chapter 2

"Then why did you _never come back_?!"

_The fact is...you're going to grow up, Jamie. And I'm going to be here, always, like...like this. Like a_ _**boy**__._

That's what Jack _wanted_ to say to him. And maybe that's what he felt in the moment, but he didn't say it, because he knew in the long run that Jamie growing up and growing uninterested in him as a romantic partner was _inevitable_. But the truth was that he didn't care. He loved him so much, he just didn't care. He'd watch him grow up and he'd be at his side as long as he needed him to be, and when it was time for him to move on, he'd let him.

This is what took _four years_ to decide.

"I'm sorry, I can't explain it to you now, but Jamie, I _love _you. I _always _have. Let me back into your life. I promise I won't mess up again."

The boy crossed his arms tight to his chest, looking out at the window, which had since melted with the sun shining through annoyingly. Hesitance made Jack anxious.

"_Please_, Jamie."

* * *

"There is this thing that...well, usually _adults_ do, but...well, I'd like to do..._be_...it with you."

"What?" Jamie looked up from his snowman, sticking a tree branch in it's side for a third arm. "Look, it's an alien!" He laughed.

Jack smiled, "Yeah, that looks...that looks great, Jamie. It's really cool..."

"If you're real, aliens are real, right?"

"Well, what do you mean?" He bit his lip, shifting uncomfortably in the snow, feeling anxious, trying to hurry the conversation along so he could get to the question he originally wanted to ask the boy.

"Like, aliens from different planets and stuff." Jamie looked away, continuing to pat his snowman and add yet another piece of coal for an additional eye.

"Not that I know of..." He shifted again.

"I really want to go to Mars. Do you think you could take me there someday?"

"Heh, yeah, maybe...maybe someday. Jamie, can I ask you something?"

"Okay..." he mumbled, not really looking at the guardian.

Slightly frustrated, Jack knelt down next to him, using his staff as support as he stared up into Jamie's brown eyes. Jamie looked at him.

"Will you let me be your _boyfriend_, Jamie?"

He smiled. "I thought we already were that."

Jack grinned, dropped his staff and hugged him, ruffling his hair, getting it wet with snow and frost.

* * *

"I don't know if I can take it, Jack. The way...the way I like, just...everything was _fine_ and then one day you never _came back_. I don't know if I can _deal_ with that happening again."

"I can promise you, on my _life_, it will never happen again."

Jamie looked up from his bed covers and into Jack's hopeful blue eyes, then looked away to blow his nose. He tossed the tissue carelessly into the garbage can and sniffed, looking back up at him. "Fine. Let's talk."

The white-haired teen sprawled out next to him, smiling. His partner laid down, getting his head comfortable on his pillow before turning it to look at him. Jack bit his lip, and Jamie couldn't help but smile, taking in every last beautiful detail of the guardian's face that he had forgotten.

* * *

Jamie lay in his bed on his back, covers pulled up half-heartedly only to his navel, as his head rested to the side, staring into Jack's eyes. His hand was wandering curiously over the teen's pale face, examining every waking bit of it, down to the almost invisible freckles that speckled his cheeks, feeling his fingers get a little numb from the cold.

This was a usual night. But Jack was about to do something unusual, cross a line that hadn't been crossed yet. _Yet_.

"If you ever want to stop, you can tell me..." He pushed himself up by his elbow and scooted a little closer, their noses almost touching.

"I don't wanna stop _ever_..."

"Me neither."

* * *

"It's been so long since we did this. But something doesn't feel right."

"What is it?"

Jamie grinned, pointing to the window. "The weather."

He smirked, getting off the bed and flying towards the window. "See you in a few."

The teen watched in amazement as the world around him went from a warm yellow/orange shade to an icey blue and gray, which, for some reason, felt much more comforting to Jamie. He snuggled up to his covers, staring at his window, waiting for Jack's return, which, like he promised, was quick.

"That better?"

"Yeah." And he grabbed him by the neck, pulling him close, and kissed him.

Jack melted into the warmth of him, clutching on to him with need as he forced his tongue into his hot cavern: oh, so _hot_. The boy fought for dominance but it didn't last long, as Jack crawled on top of him and explored the mouth he had so missed.

* * *

"It's so cool, Jack! Make more, make more!"

Jack giggled as he circled Jamie, making snowflakes plentiful. The boy stuck his tongue out, trying to catch as many as he could, and in result of trying a little too hard, fell forward on to Jack, knocking him down into the snow (well, most likely Jack _let_ the whole thing happen), his staff falling off to the side.

"Do you like Winter?" He put his hand on his back comfortingly.

"Yes!"

"Why?"

"Because you're here..." he smiled. Jack smiled back, then pushed him off and flew a couple feet away, materializing a snowball out of thin air, throwing it at him just as he got up. Jamie laughed as he plopped back down into the snow and made his own, throwing it back at him.

Winter was fun. And fun was his center.

But there was something else tugging at his 'center', something that was always in the back of his mind that he wanted to do _so_ much...and it was starting to make him feel a little sick.

"Jamie, come here."

He pushed up from the ground, waddling over to him with a big grin on his red face.

The guardian leaned forward, closing his eyes and kissing him for the first time on the lips as snowflakes danced around them happily.

* * *

"I want this Winter to be the coldest Winter it has ever been."

"Your wish is my command~" teased Jack, smiling as he nuzzled his nose against the boy's.

"I haven't had a cold Winter in four years. I had a feeling it wasn't just global warming."

"It wasn't. A guy can't take a four-year break to save his life, can he?"

"Good." He sneezed in Jack's face, who quickly flew back, laughing as he wiped it off his face. He didn't mind, honestly. "Oh, god, sorry! Jack, I'm so sorry!"

Jack was doubled up laughing, clutching on to his stomach.

Jamie smiled nervously, wiping his dripping nose with another tissue, watching him come down from his high and sit back next to him as he tossed it aside.

"Why do you like the Winter, Jamie?"

He paused, smile fading, then answered, "Because _you're_ here in Winter." And he hoped that didn't sound stupid.

Jack closed his eyes and relished the warm feelings he had all over his body, overwhelming him and flowing through his icy veins, bringing him back to _life _after so long. It hadn't sounded stupid at all.

* * *

"...and that's how I saved the entire village!"

"Wow...that's crazy. I didn't know you were so cool, Jack..."

"Of course I'm cool! I'm the coolest guardian, don't you think? I mean, I am Jack _Frost_...cool is sort of _in my name_."

Jamie burst out laughing and Jack joined him, pulling him close. He tugged his hood up over both their heads, their noses rubbing against each other's, and Jamie's hot breath on his face, contrasting Jack's chilly Peppermint.

"You're silly, Jack." murmured Jamie, staring into his eyes with wonder.

"You are too, kid."

Jamie smiled. His sister was at daycare, and both of his parents were at work: perfect opportunity to make a complete and utter mess of the house. Snow days and sick days were _both_ the best kind of day _ever_. "Let's play!"

"Play what?" He couldn't hide the hopefulness in his voice, the hopefulness that made him feel sort of _terrible _on the inside, the hopefulness that Jamie wanted to play that _one game_ they had played the other day, and maybe this time make it to the "_next level_"...

The boy jumped off his bed, running downstairs. Jack flew after him, watching as he pulled a cushion from the couch off. "I wanna go sledding!"

Jack grinned, letting out a breath. "Down the stairs?"

"You know it!"

"Race you there."

And Jack, of course, won the race. But Jamie didn't mind.

"Okay, get on," he helped him get on the cushion, "now, _don't_ let go!"

"I won't, I won't!" he giggled.

"Ready? Set..._go_!" Jack pushed him down the stairs and Jack screamed in delight, clutching onto the sides of the cushion with all his might as he accelerated, ice forming a path beneath him, and even as he reached the bottom of the stairs, he didn't stop there, a path creeping out across the wooden floor and around tight corners, knocking down a plant or two and some magazines and books in the process. Jamie screamed again, almost hitting the front door, but Jack picked him up just in time, pulling him away from the collision and holding him in his arms.

The brunette was still panting with adrenaline, staring at Jack with loving _adoration_.

"Was that fun?"

"Wh-whoa..whoa..whoa, whoa, whoa..so _cool_!"

Jack smiled, pressing his lips against Jamie's gently.

* * *

Jack's hand snuck underneath his t-shirt. It started off as affectionate tickles, but soon turned into something more: for _both _boys. Jamie's nose was freezing cold and he was sure he had goosebumps, not being very accustomed to his temperature since it had been so long, but it only _heightened_ his sense of feeling. He knew heat, _human_ heat, could _not_ do this for him. It _never _could.

"We're home alone."

"I know."

"Let's make a mess." he whispered.

Jamie nodded, grinning.

**A/N**: As always, suggestions/ideas are very welcome! Hope you enjoy, see you in chapter 3!


	3. Chapter 3

They did stupid stuff. Stupid, _fun _stuff. Stuff Jamie hadn't done since he was a kid. Stuff that was too embarrassing to really even mention: however, it did _indeed _entail a mess...particularly of the living room. The furniture was in pieces, a lamp had fallen over, curtains were laying ripped (oops), the rug was disgruntled, the floor was basically one giant puddle (the ice had melted, it hadn't really been _intentional_)...and Jamie loved it.

"I'M NOT. THAT. _INNOCENT_!" he cried at the top of his lungs into the microphone connected to his Wii-mote.

"You are not." giggled Jack, leaning his head on his shoulder.

"Neither are you!" He turned to him, a smile still on his face. "You better clean all of this up, _mister_!"

"Uhh, _not my house_!" he shrugged, flying up the stairs. Jamie threw the microphone down and chased after him, almost slipping on the wet floor.

* * *

"Can you sing, Jack?"

"Um...jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way..."

Jamie laughed, taking the teen's hands in his small ones and looking up at him. Jack blushed a little, loving the touch initiated by him. "No, like, a _real _song. A modern one."

"I'm not one for modern music...I like music from my time more," Jack explained.

"But your time is so _old_!"

"I know." he smiled, shrugging.

* * *

Jack was on top of him, Jamie was laughing, and they were on his bed together, wrestling. Things felt like they used to. Things felt like _old_ times. Like age wasn't a factor and growing up wasn't on either of their minds and all they cared about was _fun_.

Until Jamie's cell phone vibrated. And that _wasn't_ fun. Especially for Jack.

He looked up, reaching for it from his dresser drawer. "Hold on, lemme see who it is."

"I...I hate those things." mumbled Jack, crossing his arms and looking away, not before seeing that it was a light blue phone, with sparkles that caught your eye from a distance. His heart leaped.

"Why? I'd die without my cell phone."

"That's why I hate it."

"Haha, why? I don't get it..." he mumbled mindlessly, scrolling through his inbox and looking at his latest text from Monty, asking where he was. His fingers quickly padded across the keypad, explaining that he was at home sick.

"When I was your age, you know, back in my time, you had to actually _meet_ someone to talk with them. Now you don't even really _talk_."

"You're old, stop being _grumpy_ about it." grinned Jamie, throwing his phone aside.

Jack pretended to be bitter, but inside he was bursting with joy.

* * *

"All I want for Christmas is a _cell phone_! But my mom says I'm too young..."

"Maybe it's in one of the presents~" Jack mused, floating around the Bennett-family Christmas tree, tempted to add his own touches of frost.

"I doubt it." he mumbled.

"Jamie, are you talking to your imaginary friend again?"

"Mom, he's _not _imaginary!"

* * *

"Jamie, I'm so _happy_ to be with you..."

"I'm...I'm happy, too. I've waited a long time for you to come back, y'know..." he tangled his fingers in the guardian's, staring into his bright blue eyes. "Burgess hasn't been the same. What exactly were you _doing_ for all those years?"

"Thinking."

"That's it? But you've had eternity to think..." He sniffed.

"Three hundred and twenty six. But that's _why_ I didn't realize it was so long. I'm sorry, Jamie."

"Don't be sorry...what were you thinking about?" He pulled away, looking down at his bedsheets.

Nothing in his room had changed in four years. He may be a teenager now, but everything was exactly the same. The same way it's always been. And part of that was because he wanted to preserve his memories with Jack, and another part was that he was ultimately scared of _forgetting_.

"You."

* * *

"Santa's coming tonight."

"I know...I hope he brings me a cell phone." Jamie pouted, crossing his arms and looking out his window at the moon on Christmas Eve. He hadn't been particularly happy with his haul this year.

"You still have to open _my_ presents, kiddo." Jack swept down to the floor, underneath Jamie's bed, and started to throw box after box in front of the boy.

"Y-you got me presents?"

"Of course..." he threw the last one up, then pulled up and sat two feet away from Jamie, on the foot of the bed, crossing his legs and smiling at him.

"This is so much, I only made you one thing..." He reached in his dresser drawer and pulled out a small box wrapped very poorly in red wrapping paper that said "Happy Birthday" (probably recycled from a previous one) and threw it at Jack, who caught it, grinning from ear-to-ear.

"Can I open it now?" he asked, eagerly.

Jamie nodded, blushing hard and looking down at his lap.

* * *

"You still have it." Jamie laughed, watching as he pulled a crumpled, wet-looking piece of paper out of his hoodie pocket. He then pushed up his right hoodie sleeve, revealing a bracelet.

"A day hasn't gone by when I haven't had it with me."

Jamie couldn't hide his cheeks going red this time.

* * *

Jack was honestly, _for the first time in a very long time_, utterly speechless as he opened the box, pulling out a handmade bracelet, which looked to be made out of a combination of yarn, twigs, and a metal circle with attached pendant, probably from a keychain he had torn apart. The pendant was a snowflake made from construction paper.

Almost in a daze, he slipped it on his wrist, and looked at the folded piece of paper that had lay under the bracelet. Upon unfolding it, he found a picture drawn on most ordinary computer paper of himself and Jamie standing next to each other. The 'card' read:

"TO, JACK

FROM, JAMIE

THANK YOU FOR BEING MY HERO

LOVE, JAMIE"

Jack just stared, not being able to form words. The room started to snow.

* * *

"ACHOO! That's embarrassing, put it away, _please_..." He wiped his nose.

"It makes me happy that you haven't forgotten about me, Jamie. It makes me really happy..."

"Stop being...stop being so...I don't know, lovey-dovey..." he grumbled, looking at his lap more intently than he ever had. "Everything we did together, I mean, I was a kid, and...and it was just..."

"It wasn't just a phase," he crawled on top of him, straddling his waist, and Jamie willingly let it happen, "you're making out with _Jack Frost_ as we speak." He leaned down, kissing him roughly, and Jamie couldn't help but moan and rub his back.

* * *

"I love you so much, Jamie...it must have taken you so long to make this, I really appreciate it. I promise, I'll wear it every single day."

"Hm..can I open _my_ presents now?" he grumbled, blushing hard, wanting the subject to change.

"Sure." Jack smiled, moving from the foot of the bed to his side, wrapping his arm around the slim shoulders as he pulled the first of many presents toward him, lifting the neatly-wrapped top to the box off.

He gasped, pulling out a blue cell phone, adorned with snowflakes and glittery frost crackling all over the back and sides.

"It's specially made, North helped me...your own _cell phone_." He smiled, kissing his head as the boy stared at it in awe. "There's a rule, though. In order to use it, you have to promise to call _me_, okay? You can use it any time to talk to me, whenever you need me, wherever you are, no matter what season it is..."

"But how can that work?" Jamie whimpered, looking at him with confusion.

Jack smiled, poking his small chest. "Cause I'm in _here_. Always."

* * *

"If anyone knew about this, they'd make me go to the nuthouse."

* * *

"Jack, why can't grown-ups see the guardians?"

"They don't _want_ to believe in us, Jamie." he stroked his head, looking down at him with adoration.

"What if..." the boy looked really worried, "...my mom is right? What if you're just in my _head_? What if you're _not_ really real? What If I _am_ crazy?"

"Don't question it. I'm _right _here. And I always will be, as long as you trust that I am." He kissed his lips gently, holding him close.

* * *

"Do you care?"

"No."

Snowflakes danced cheerfully in the air of his bedroom.

* * *

Jamie lay on his bed, snoring cutely and quietly as Jack tidied up the room, hiding his presents from his mother's view on the right side of the room, closing up the windows and making sure the room wasn't too uncomfortably cold for the sleeping boy. He stared outside, sitting on the window sill, watching the snow fall for awhile, then moving to his bed and getting cozy next to him, on top of the blankets.

The brunette mumbled, squirming as he wriggled the covers off him and held them open for Jack to crawl in. He complied eagerly, instantly latching on to him and holding him so tight, smiling as he felt a shiver jitter all over his lithe body.

"Thank you, Jack..."

"You're welcome, kiddo." He took the opportunity to kiss him, and rub his body in ways that he hoped would warm him up.

He enjoyed it, Jack could tell, and he drifted off to sleep. Jack laid with him until North came.

* * *

"I really want to _know_...by the way, I'm getting sort of hungry." Jamie yawned, rubbing his eyes and blowing his nose once more (it was starting to get annoying how drippy it really was).

"Well, I...I'm not going to beat around any bushes, here, so...you _knew _what we were. And you knew how_ old _you were."

"I've never cared about ages. Ever."

"You were a _child_, Jamie. A complete _child_. And I was supposed to _protect _you. I was supposed to be your _guardian_. Instead I _exploited _you."

"You _didn't_ and you _know_ it!" He raised his voice, starting to get genuinely upset. He had thought about it very much in the past years. He had imagined conversations in which he explained to his friends or mother (who never found out) why Jack wasn't a "pedophile" or a "creeper". He gave _speeches_ about it in the shower. He had written it in his diary, then ripped out the pages and thrown them away.

But there was nothing _wrong_ with that. Because their relationship _hadn't_ been like that. It was _more_ than that. And they both knew it. And they were the only two that should care, anyways. _Right_?

"Well, the other guardians found out about it. They didn't like it."

"They never said a _word_ about that to me!"

"I asked them not to."

* * *

"How do you make frosting?"

"Well, first you need to find some ingredients. Usually it's stuff like milk, butter, vanilla, powdered sugar..."

"That's so much! Ugh, how am I ever gonna do this?"

"I can help you." Jack smiled, kneeling down to Jamie's height, looking into his eyes like he so loved to do.

"Really?"

"Yep."

"Okay!" Jamie hugged him. Jack hugged back, closing his eyes and relishing the feeling. After what seemed like eternity to Jamie, and not even a full second to Jack, he had to pull away and started zooming around the kitchen, finding necessary ingredients and measuring them out.

"Be quiet, I don't want my mom to hear us."

"Or that obnoxious dog." muttered Jack, stirring them into a bowl.

"Hey, Abby is a good dog!"

"Want to help me do the mixing?"

He peeked into the bowl.

"It's the most important part of making frosting," Jack explained, "you have to be_ really _strong to do it. Do you think you can?"

"Heck to the yeah!" Jamie grabbed the mixer and Jack turned it on, standing on his tippy-toes to reach the top of the counter and started stirring as best as he could. It was so furious and rough that it made Jack laugh to watch.

The boy continued, seriously pulling and pushing the mixer around the bowl. Some flew out onto his cheek, and when Jack advised him to pause, he leaned forward, licking it off. Jamie blushed hard.

"You made a mess of yourself." he giggled, hands roaming to Jamie's messy, frosting-coated shirt and pulling it up over his head. "Did you do that on purpose?"

"Maybe." He dipped his finger into the bowl and smeared it on Jack's cheek, grinning, then he ran away.

* * *

"Anyway, I'm _hungry_. And speaking of going downstairs, we have to clean up, too."

"I'll take care of it."

Jamie slowly got up off his bed, watching as Jack flew out and down the stairs to the living room, appreciating that he was willing to do the cleaning. He bumbled off to the kitchen, opening the freezer, rubbing his eyes. He grabbed a package of frozen macaroni for three and tossed it in the microwave, thinking about what Jack had just revealed to him.

* * *

"H-help..." Jamie clawed at Jack's arm, looking up at him with teary, big, brown eyes.

"There's nothing I can do, Jamie." he replied with a furrowed brow, getting comfortable next to him on his bed. "I don't think cold can help, and unfortunately, that's all I can do..."

"Please, I don't care what you do, just do it! Just make it better!" he sobbed. And Jack couldn't stand to see him that way, so he lifted up his shirt and rubbed his bloated stomach gently.

The boy whimpered and held his face, covering his eyes.

"I told you not to eat that whole carton of ice cream...your body is too little."

"It hurts...it hurts..."

"I'm sorry..."

"It hurts..." he repeated, slowly dropping his hands from his face to his sides, looking up at the teen, who looked quite worried.

"Is this helping at all?"

"Yeah..."

A smile appeared on his lips and he leaned down and kissed his belly gently, causing him to start squirming and giggling.

* * *

"Oh my god..." moaned the brunette, holding his stomach after just consuming the entire macaroni bowl. "...I should have _not _ate all that."

"I knew that would be too much..."

"Urgh, whatever. Now all I want to do is lay down..." he slowly got out of the chair, stumbling a bit as he reached the stairs and moaned again, looking up to the top of them.

Jack swooshed up behind him, picking him up in his arms bridal style and flew him to his room, dropping him on the bed, laughing a little.

Jamie laughed too, until his face went really pale and he ceased all movement.

"What's wrong?" he frowned.

He bolted out of the room to the bathroom, puking it all up into the toilet.

* * *

"Jack?"

"Yes, Jamie?" he smiled, looking down at the boy who sat in his lap, as they looked at a picture book together.

"What's a _gale_?" he pointed to the word on the page.

"What do you think it is? Look at the sentence and try to figure out the context. You can look at the picture to help."

Jamie stared at it with a furrowed brow. "Uh..."

"What's happening in the picture?"

"There's lots of snow and stuff..."

"Close!"

"Is it...uh...umm.."

"S..sss...ssssstttt..."

"Storm." Jamie looked up at him. "I'm not stupid!"

The white-haired teen laughed. "Of course not!"

* * *

"Are you okay, Jamie? How was your day?"

"I puked, Mom..."

"Oh my gosh!" she rushed over, putting a hand to his forehead. "You're _ice cold_, Jamie!" He couldn't help but grin and she looked at him questionably. "Stay in bed, I'll make you some warm soup. You're staying home tomorrow."

As she left, Jamie looked over to the corner of the room Jack was in. "Got us another day together."

"Yeah, that's great..." But he wasn't as enthusiastic as usual and it worried him.

"Something wrong?"

"I don't want to be hurting you like this...making you sick like this."

"It's okay, I'll be fine by tomorrow." he smiled, reassuringly. "Come on, get in with me."

* * *

"I love sleeping with you."

"Me too...I used to have trouble sleeping, but then _you_ came...now I can sleep good!"

"I'm really glad..." he muttered, nuzzling his head into the small, fragile neck underneath him.

"J-Jack?" Jamie sat up in bed, looking at the white-haired teen who dropped his arms from his waist, smiling up at him.

"What is it, kiddo?"

"What's that _hard _thing?"

Jack's smile fell.

* * *

"Shh, I don't want to wake up my sister!" Jamie's hands roamed the bare chest in front of him curiously, staring through the dark at Jack, who was gently fondling _his_ body...

"Heh, that's up to you, not _me_..." Jack smiled, biting his lip as his hand dipped to the waistband of Jamie's pajama pants.

"Ja-jack?"

He shot up and away from Jamie, turning around towards the door which gently creaked open.

"T-t-t-_tooth_!"

"W-wha...what are you doing?!"

"What are _you_ doing here?" he scrambled to grab his hoodie and pull it over his head, Jamie watching in fear.

"I...I thought...since it was Sophie, I could visit Jamie, so I...what...what are you _doing_?" And the disappointment in her voice was almost too much for Jack to bear.

He stuttered, stammered, and looked from Jamie to Tooth, a look of horror on his face. After a mumble that no one could understand, he snatched his staff and flew out of the window, leaving it open and a trail of ice and frost behind him, coating the streets and taking out a couple street lamps.

Jamie pulled the covers up to his face, wanting to cry. "Tooth, I'm sorry, we're sorry..."

"What..." she couldn't even form words. And Jamie hung his head. "I don't...I don't even know what to say, I..."

* * *

"Jack, no one will ever take you away from me, right?"

"Of course not, Jamie." He poked his nose, smiling.

Jamie giggled, then held Jack's hand in his, staring up at him, his smile fading and mouth opening slightly.

"What?" he asked, quietly, almost a whisper.

"You're not lying, right?"

"I _promise_." And Jack went all serious, too, and pulled him into a tight embrace.

* * *

"Jack...please come back...Jack..."

Jamie sighed, holding his head as he sat in front of his window sill, tears falling. "_Please_, Jack...please, come back..."


	4. Chapter 4

"Good morning, Jack!" Jamie sat up in his bed, ready for Saturday morning cartoons with his guardian. But to his surprise, he wasn't by his side. The window wasn't left open. And he wasn't even anywhere else around the room...

Jamie pulled himself up out of bed and looked under it, giggling. "Are you hiding? Are we playin' hide and seek?"

There was no reply.

Not only that, but the room was _warm_. Uncomfortably warm.

"I guess...you'll be here later?" he mumbled, leaving the room.

* * *

He didn't leave his bed. Only to go to the bathroom. That was it. He didn't eat, he didn't watch TV, he didn't read. He just _sat_ there, staring at the window, _praying_ for his return.

"Please, God...if you're real..._please_, bring Jack back to me...please..."

And Jamie had never wished more that he was at school.

* * *

It was Saturday evening, the sun was setting and the moon was taking shape. Jamie was sitting at his window, staring out at the sunset.

"Did you see, Jamie?" His mom popped into his room, carrying in a big basket of fresh clothing. "All the snow melted outside! They're predicting 71 degrees tomorrow! Can you believe that, in the middle of _December_ like this?"

He swallowed hard and didn't answer.

* * *

He knew he had to get up and move. He had to _live_. But he just got him _back_, why was he gone _again_? It wasn't fair...had it all been a _dream_? Had he dreamt _that whole thing_? It wouldn't be the first time that he dreamt of Jack, only to wake up to extreme disappointment when the true thing hadn't been there...

Finally tearing himself away from the window, he got out of bed and ran down to the basement, going to his little mini freezer down there in which no one (he was sure) knew about. He opened it, revealing all of the frozen presents Jack had ever created for him. He pulled out the snow globe, staring at it, letting the ice prick and nip at his fingers. Hesitantly, he shook it, watch the snowflakes fall. He shook it again, and again, and _again_, and couldn't stop staring at it, his eyes stinging with tears.

* * *

"Jack please answer..." he whimpered, holding the cell phone hopelessly to his ear. He _knew_ it wouldn't work, he didn't even dial a number. "Please _pick up_, Jack...I wanna talk..."

* * *

"Jack..." he mumbled, his chin trembling as he tried to keep his composure. He _couldn't_ lose him, he just got him _back_...

"Jamie..."

"Stupid! I'm so _stupid_!"

"Ja-Jamie..." Jack put his hand on his shoulder and Jamie whipped around, staring up at him in shock, not really believing his eyes. He shot up from the ground and hugged him tighter than he swore he ever hugged him before, and it felt like if he had been human, he might have just broken him.

"_Jack_! Oh my god, Jack!" he was incoherent. He couldn't really talk, or say anything meaningful, and he couldn't even describe how _grateful_ he was at that point.

"Jamie...stop crying, _please_...it hurts..."

"I thought you were g-gone! I thought..." he wiped his very runny nose, pulling away, "...that you were gone again. _Forever_."

"I just needed some time to _think_...I'm sorry that I worried you so much..."

"I'm just..._so happy you're here_!"

"I told you, Jamie, I'd _never_ leave you...not _ever _again. No matter _what_ happens."

"What...what _happened_?"

"Look, I...I cleared everything up. It's...it's okay. You don't need to worry anymore, alright?" he gave him a weak smile.

Jamie stared with his mouth hanging open. "But, what do you mean?"

"I talked to North. I told him about everything, like...about _us_. And how Tooth...yeah. Well, he _understood_. And maybe the others won't understand at_ first_, but...but it's a start, you know?"

Jamie nodded eagerly, taking his hand and running up the stairs to his living room.

They sat down on the couch, Jamie curling in a blanket. "I thought for sure it was..._happening _again."

"You don't understand how much it hurt me, Jamie...the way the fear tore and _ate_ at me every day of existence..." Jamie stared, wide-eyed at the guardian as he explained. He felt so _lonely_, even though Jack was right _there_, and he couldn't think of anything to do but intertwine his fingers with the pale ones and clutch on for dear life. He continued, "Pitch is still _alive_, Jamie. I _know_ he is, he _has_ to be, because...because of what I _went_ through."

"W-what were you so _afraid_ of?"

"Coming back to you and not being seen." he bit his lip, looking up at him from his hung head.

"That's...that's so _dumb_, you didn't have to be scared about...about _me_." He pulled him into a huge hug, resting his head on his strong shoulder. "You big _dummy_, you worried about nothing..."

Jack's hands were limp on his back, his eyes still open and wide as the boy embraced him.

"Let's just...let's just be happy, okay? This doesn't suit you..."

"Tears don't suit you either, Jamie." he pulled away and smiled. Jamie smiled back.

* * *

"I broke it...I broke your...pre-present..." Jamie sobbed, sniffing as he held a cracked ice heart necklace in his hands.

"Shhhh...look, I can fix it! See?" He picked up the pieces from his small hands, and molded them together with a couple of sparkles and a quiet crack. They merged together, becoming one again, and it looked like nothing had ever happened.

"Wh-whoa..." Jamie whimpered, staring at it with wonder as he took it back, then put it on.

"Tears don't suit you, Jamie." Jack whispered, wiping one from his cheek.

* * *

"Let's go outside. I'll go get dressed."

"Are you sure we should?" Jack followed him up the stairs, flying behind him. "You _are_ sick, after all."

"A little cold won't kill me!" Once up to the room, he slipped out of his pajama pants and got into some jeans, sitting on the bed as he tugged on his Winter boots.

Jack's eyes roamed the room, noticing the huge pile of tissues laying next to his bed. For some reason, he didn't think they were all from just the cold...

"We're goin' to have _fun_, okay, Jack? Just like old times."

"'Kay." He forced a smile, flying back downstairs and out the door, conjuring up a snowball laced with some ice, getting in the ready-position for when Jamie came out of the door.

* * *

"The snow is so pretty!" Jamie danced in the fresh snow, spinning around in circles then dropping down, happily wriggling his arms and legs to make a snow angel. Jack laughed, dropping next to him and doing the same. They made them for awhile, comparing how big (or small, in Jamie's case) they were, then Jack suggested making a snow castle, since there was so much snow around.

Jamie loved that idea, and nodded eagerly, getting on his knees and starting to pack up the snow. He pulled away, wincing and looking up at the white-haired teen. "I forgot to wear gloves."

"That's fine, it won't hurt you!" he reassured, and Jamie smiled and kept building, Jack helping him, their hands sometimes grazing over each other, making his already pink face go redder.

* * *

"You freaking _didn't_ just do that!" Jamie sputtered, face now covered in freshly packed snow and burning with an irritating _cold_ itch that always was so _comforting _to him.

"I think I did, and I think it's gonna be hard for you to catch me!" he cried, and with that, he flew away, the wind carrying him with unfair advantage.

The teen grinned, dropping his mittens to the snow and running as fast as he could to catch up, picking up some snow on the way and preparing a deadly shot.

* * *

"Jamie, what did you _do_? Oh my lord, I knew you shouldn't be outside for so long..."

"I'm fine, Mom, it just itches...a little..." he winced as his mother poked at the yellow and red patches of skin on his fingertips. It was more than just a little itch: it burned, and really sort of hurt.

"Why on _Earth_ weren't you wearing your gloves?"

"Well, I..."

"I told you Jack Frost was going to be out today...that's why you're supposed to be wearing your gloves! To protect this from happening."

"How did you know Jack was going to be out there?" whimpered Jamie, eyes wide.

"Oh, sweetheart, just an _expression_..." his mother mumbled and Jamie's heart fell. She ran to the kitchen, coming back with a cup of steaming hot water. Jamie made a face.

"Here, Jamie, just put your fingers in. Don't wiggle them around."

He complied, looking up at Jack, who was in the corner of the living room looking mortified. The expression on the boy's face literally broke his heart, and to know that _he _was the one that had hurt him like this...

"What were you doing outside, Jamie?"

"I was building a snow castle..."

"And where were your _gloves_?"

"I forgot them inside..."

"Why didn't you come back to _get_ them?"

"_Jack _said it would be okay..."

"Heavens, not this 'Jack' thing _again_."

* * *

"I haven't...done that in...so long." he panted, entering his house, his face, burning with chill (windburn, most likely) suddenly heating up. His fingers, however, were totally numb and had utterly no feeling. His nose was running, and all in all, he felt pretty crappy. Pulling off his hat and stepping out of his Winter boots, lazily tossing his coat in the closet, not caring when it just fell back down to the floor, he slumped down on the couch, grabbing a tissue and blowing his nose, noting his fingers once more. He looked down at them drearily, seeing patches of yellow and bright red. "Ugh...Jack...I think I got _frost bite_."

* * *

"Where are you going, Jamie?" Jack flew next to him, twirling around him happily as the boy ran down the icy sidewalk, slipping every now and then.

"Rainbow Quest eleven is out today!" he cried, giggling as he slid a couple feet. The guardian continued to circle him. "I've been saving up my money since forever to get it!"

Jamie was, by no means, from a rich family, let alone a well-off one. His mother struggled to make payments, and nothing hurt Jack more than to oversee an argument in which Jamie doesn't understand why he can't get a new action figure or video game. It made him quite happy that Jamie could afford this, he knew he loved Rainbow Quest _very _much. They read the books together all the time. _All ten of them_. Reading was a fun activity that was inexpensive and educational and Jack enjoyed teaching the boy. He had sat in on countless classrooms over the centuries, learning from the best teachers of the world. Besides, nothing felt better than when he successfully explained a math problem to Jamie, or gave him a brilliant idea for an essay.

"You're excited, huh?"

"Totally!" He turned the corner, entering the book shop, panting.

An old man at the counter smiled. "Looking for something, young man?"

"Whoa!" Jamie was already at the huge cut-out display for the new novel, staring wide-eyed.

"Heh, thought you might like that."

He grabbed a copy and threw it on the counter, taking his backpack off his back and dumping the contents out, revealing hundreds and hundreds of coins, mostly pennies. But the old man didn't seem to mind.

* * *

"So they made a Rainbow Quest movie? I really missed a lot, didn't I..." mumbled Jack, crouching next to Jamie, who was currently curled up in three blankets on the couch, watching the movie re-run on T.V.

"Yeah. A great movie, honestly. I've got it on blu-ray."

"Have you lost interest in it?"

"No, I've just seen it so many times..." he mumbled, looking up at the white-haired teen next to him. "I really hope my mom comes home soon, my fingers are killing me."

"It's my fault..."

"It's okay. I guess I just didn't remember how easily my body reacts to you." he chuckled, looking back at the screen, giving a shrug. "My mom's gonna kill me, though. I don't know how to even explain this to her."

* * *

"Jack!" Jamie jumped out of his bed, running over to his window as the guardian flew in. "Jack, you _have_ to read it!"

He laughed, landing on the ground and taking the book the boy was trying to shove into his hands. "Okay, okay, I'll read it."

"You _have_ to read it! I need to talk about it with someone!"

"You just got it this morning! You already finished it?"

"Yeah, it was_ so _good!"

Jack smiled, leading him back to his bed, coaxing him to get back in. It was late and tomorrow was a Monday. "I'll spend all night reading and we can talk about it when you wake up."

"But I wanna talk about it _now_!"

* * *

"Who is _that_?" Jack raised an eyebrow, examining a strange, older man walk into the living room, slipping off an expensive coat after tucking his gloves into them. Jamie's mother giggled, helping him.

"That's _Kevin_." mumbled Jamie, crossing his arms tighter to his chest.

"Hey, Jamie." the man waved with a charming smile. Jamie grunted. His mother took his arm and pranced off to the kitchen, going on about how she'd need his help for "just a bit longer, dear" with the Christmas cookies she was baking. What _crap_. That man didn't know how to cook. And she didn't even ask about his fingers.

Jack's mind went speeding for answers. Jamie _had_ a father when he was around, and it _wasn't_ that man...

"He's my mom's new boyfriend..."

"B-but..."

"He _died_, Jack. Three years ago."

* * *

**A/N:** Every time you see a break, it switches timelines! Just keep that in mind when reading. It always goes back and forth.  
Thanks for your reviews! Much appreciated. I'm updating fast, it's going by so quickly! Hope you guys are still enjoying, your reviews mean the world to me.

Something that's making me very sad, though, is how ROTG is doing at the box office...please, take all of your friends to see it multiple times...it really needs a comeback, or we'll never get any sequel...

Thank you for your time and see you in Chapter 5!


	5. Chapter 5

"I don't wanna talk about it, Jack...let's go to my room."

Jack sat there, looking a little stunned. "But...your hands."

"I think they're fine. It's not that bad. I'll just run them under hot water in the bathroom or something."

The teen nodded slowly, following him as he got up and went to do just that, a bit worried, and also sad that he know longer knew much about Jamie _at all_.

* * *

"Your hair is so soft, Jamie. You wash it so nicely."

"That's 'cause my mom makes me!" he pouted, crossing his arms as Jack continud to ruffle his hair.

"Listen to your mom, she knows what she's doing." he laughed, pulling away and kneeling down to his height, just smiling at him. He could stare at the boy for days, like this.

But when he did, it always seemed to make him uneasy. Understandable. Jamie shifted his weight from foot to foot, looking down at the ground. "Alright." he grumbled.

* * *

Sunday morning. A nice, _cold _Sunday morning. Just like a December day in Burgess _should _be. He awoke with Jack's arms wrapped around his waist loosely. The teen didn't require sleep, at least Jamie was pretty sure he didn't, but when he wriggled around in the surprisingly limp arms to turn to face him, he saw his eyes closed, brown eyelashes against forever-porcelain skin.

Hesitantly, always being too intimidated to do it, his hands moved forward, almost on their _own_ accord, like he couldn't _stop_ them, running through the soft, white hair. Jack was the only one he had ever met with hair that color, and even in Rainbow Quest or any other books or shows he watched, there was _no one _with that color hair. Especially not with brown accents, like his eyebrows and eyelashes. It made Jamie wonder for a moment, then he shrugged it off: that simply was the way Jack had always been.

He's never felt hair so moist, so soft, either. And even in parts, it felt almost...frozen, yet...

He couldn't really explain, to be honest. He sat up, looking around his room, seeing his staff leaning up against his desk. He sighed, then flopped back down, staring at it, a little _tempted_.

Jack smiled and readjusted himself, wrapping his arms around the teen once more, pulling him close. Okay, it was _definitely_ worth pretending to sleep if that's the way Jamie would pet him...

* * *

"Where are you going?"

Jamie looked behind him as he was leaving the house with his mother.

"Jamie!" she shouted, getting into the car.

He whimpered, looking at the car then up at Jack again. "Monty's!" And he ran out.

Jack couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy run through his body as he clenched his fists and followed him out, watching his mother drive him away.

He hadn't even told him he had _plans_ for that day...

* * *

By ten o'clock, Jamie was up and about, grumbling as he threw clothes left and right over his room, looking for a particular shirt. Jack sat on his bed, watching. "What are you looking for?"

"Uhh. A flannel button-up."

"Why?"

"Oh, um...I'm going to Monty's. We're supposed to be working on an English assignment. We have to make a film...that's why he was sort of pissed when I wasn't at school. But, we sort of planned this like, last weekend...you know, I didn't really think you'd _be_ here." he rambled.

And Jack was pretty disappointed.

"Sorry, I forgot until now..." Jamie whimpered.

So he didn't really say anything.

* * *

Jack loved being believed in. He really did. But there were some moments where he wished he was still invisible. And he never thought he'd ever think something like that, but...

Spying on Jamie was a little tough.

Not that he _wanted_ to spy on him, or that he _liked _spying on him, it was just...

He was _protective _of him. That was all. And he knew Jamie would get annoyed if he interrupted his friends' playtime. So he sat on a rooftop behind them and hoped they wouldn't see him. One time Jamie saw him, and that didn't go well, and another, Monty did, and it resulted in Jamie throwing a fit when they got home, which wasn't good either, so...

They decided on re-enacting the fight with Pitch. However, trouble started when people were deciding whom to be.

"I'll be Jack." sniffed Monty with a grin.

Jamie's face turned sour. "_I'm_ Jack!"

"Hey, I called it fir-first!"

"_Jamie Bennett_, be nice for once!"

"No!" he stomped his foot, glaring at his friends. "_I _get to be Jack! No one else can be him!"

"You could be Easter Bunny." suggested Cupcake.

"Or Santa." piped one of the twins.

"NO!" he shouted. "I'm going to be _Jack_!"

They all looked at each other, then back at the brunette.

"Okay, fine..." Monty shrugged, looking sad.

"Jeez, who invited Mr. Grumpy Guss?"

"I'm _not _a Mr. Grumpy Guss!"

Jack held his cheek in his hand, watching the scene play out. Part of him felt sort of terrible for causing a rift between Jamie and his friends, but at the same time, he was sort of..._happy_, as bad as that was.

* * *

Instead of riding the wind around the world once or twice, all Jack could bring himself to do was sit on Jamie's rooftop, staring down the street, waiting for the teen to return home. It was twelve, then it was one, then it was two, then three, four, five...

Then finally, around quarter after six, he saw Jamie walking home. Jumping off the rooftop, he sped over to him. It started to lightly snow.

"Welcome back, Jamie."

Jamie smiled, holding back a laugh at how cute and eager Jack had been. "Hello to you, too." He stopped walking and looked up at the darkening sky.

"The snow's so _nice_, Jack. I haven't seen it in so long."

"I love it, too..." the teen said, reaching out and letting a snowflake fall into his palm. It never disintegrated, as it should have. He just stared at it, and Jamie looked over at it, too.

"Jack, something that like...you never really told me about when we were, uhm, you know, _together_...was who you were _before _Jack Frost. Like, was that even your _name_? Should I even be _calling_ you Jack?" Jack sighed and Jamie knew it was an uncomfortable topic. But _hey_, it was uncomfortable for _him_ to think about how he didn't _know_, so..."Don't you think I have the _right_ to know? I mean, I just...I feel like...like there's a _disconnect_ between us because of it, or something like that."

"Yes...we _do_ have a lot to catch up on, huh?" He frowned.

"So _tell _me, already."


	6. Chapter 6

"My name was Jackson Overland."

"Jackson? I see..."

"Do you like it?" he asked, hopefully looking up at the brunette with wide, blue eyes. And Jamie couldn't help but smile and nod. "Well," he continued on, "I was born sometime in the 1600's. I had a baby sister...just like you. And I liked to dance, and pull pranks, and tell stories..."

"It sounds like you now."

"I know..." he chuckled, "...I guess I haven't changed much, huh?"

"What was it _like_? Living back then, I mean. Like, with no computers or video games or anything?"

"We had other ways of entertainment."

"Yeah, but come _Winter_? There's hardly enough to do in Burgess as it _is_!"

"Well, we...we ice skated." And Jack's face sort of fell.

"Sounds fun. Let's go!"

"But, _Jamie_..."

"C'mon!" He raced into the house to grab his skates.

* * *

"Jack, what's the big deal? I have to go to _school_!" he cried, pulling on the teen's arm, whose hand was currently in an iron-grip on his little one.

"I heard you sneeze! You must be sick, you have to stay home!"

"I'm not sick! I haven't been for a long time!"

"T-then, it's too cold outside! You will _surely_ become sick after today!"

Jamie yanked harder, finally pushing his hand off of him and zipping up his coat. "It's not even that cold today!"

"Please, Jamie! _Don't _go to school today?"

"Do you know how _rare_ it is to have a chance to take a _field trip_? It's _very_ rare! And it's to the _ice rink_! You know how _fun _it'll be? I'm _definitely_ not missing out on it."

Jack whimpered, watching the boy helplessly as he pulled his backpack on to his shoulders. "Just be careful, okay?"

But he was already out the door, running down the sidewalk.

* * *

"Stop holding me like I'm a kid or something! I'm fine!"

"I'm just making sure you don't hurt yourself, Jamie..."

"I'm not that stupid!"

"Accidents happen." the white-haired teen cautioned, hesitantly backing away from Jamie, but staying at a foot's length.

"I'm _fine_. See?" He twirled around Jack in a circle then laughed. "I wish I could do a-_WHOA_!" He lurched forward, catching himself at last minute and standing straight again, bursting out laughing at the horrified look on his face. "Oh my god! You should _see_ yourself right now! Ahahaha!"

"T-that wasn't _funny_, Jamie!"

The boy's laughter echoed through the empty forest on the outskirts of Burgess, teasing and poking fun at Jack's seriousness in this situation.

"Don't do that _ever _again!" He warned, but Jamie kept laughing.

* * *

He pressed his nose into the dark hair, inhaling the scent of Jamie's shampoo, still lingering from his earlier shower. His cold hand on the boy's forehead moved up, ruffling his bangs. He took a deep breath, then let it out and rested his head completely on his little shoulder. "Did I ever tell you how much I love you?"

"Y-yes! All the time!" Jamie blushed hard, trying to push Jack's head off his shoulder. He smiled and complied, but pulled him closer to him in his lap, his back pressing up against his toned chest.

"Well I'm going to tell you again." He whispered, fingers now starting at the hem of Jamie's bedtime t-shirt, tickling his stomach as he moved them up and behind the thin fabric, sending delightful shivers up and down the boy's spine. They moved upward, yes, but soon back downward: never too much, never too far. Instead the pale fingers rested obediently in his lap (_dangerously close_, Jack added, but again: never _too_ close) against the warm, fuzzy flannel of his pajama pants. He kissed the shell of his ear. "I love you."

Jamie's face was hot with embarrassment. "S-stop that..." He took another sip of his hot cocoa, flailing his legs a little in protest. Jack smiled and held him tighter, kissing his ear until it was wet and cold, moving down to his neck, then back up to his warm, rosy cheeks.

* * *

"Man, I don't want to go to school tomorrow. I wonder if I can still pass off as sick to my mom."

"I could help with that..." His hands moved up to the boy's hot forehead, pushing the hair aside as he made it turn cold. Jamie smiled, clutching onto his Starbucks a little tighter. He had to admit, the warmth of both this and the fire they were in front of felt good. He'd never tell Jack that, though.

Jack's hands dropped down from his face and assumed their position around his waist, resting his head on his shoulder and nuzzling into him.

"You're as clingy as ever." teased Jamie.

"I don't care." he mumbled.

Jamie smiled, putting the cocoa down and linking his fingers with his. "Keeping me nice and cold, huh?"

"Yeah." Jack said absently, moving up to kiss his jawline, leaving little, cold, tingly spots on his skin every time he did. Jamie's fingers left his when they started to move under his flannel button-up, dancing up to his chest.

"Okay, okay, stop." he smiled, getting up and turning around to face the Winter sprite, who was now frowning.

* * *

"Guess what."

"What?" Jamie asked, excitedly, looking up at his guardian, smiling back, half with the excitement, half amused at the expression on Jack's own face. He looked pretty silly, the way he was grinning so big.

"Look where we're standing."

Jamie's smile fell and he looked around, confused. Nothing seemed peculiar or even particular about their location...

"You don't see it?"

"No, I...I don't see anything, Jack!" he stomped his foot, a little frustrated.

Jack's hands positioned themselves awkwardly at the edge of the boy's Christmas sweater, as he knelt down to his height. "Look up."

He tilted his head back and stared at the ceiling. "_Mistletoe.._." he whispered in awe. But he didn't have long to examine it, because Jack's icy lips were on his and it felt so good and perfect and even though it was cold, it made him tingle and go all warm inside...

* * *

Jamie turned to Jack, suddenly pausing in the hallway before his room. Everyone else was asleep by now, and the house was dark.

Jack gave him a questioning look, then Jamie pointed his finger up. His head fell back as he looked, and he smirked as he saw the mistletoe hanging innocently above their heads. Jamie grabbed him, pulling him close and kissing him roughly. The guardian moaned in surprise, wrapping his arms around his waist as his partner wrapped them around his back, and they both felt around each other's bodies that they had missed for so long as their tongues danced and battled for dominance.

The older's hands wandered questionably around Jamie's waistband and when he gave a hiss of approval, he reached down and grabbed on his butt for the first time in a long time, giving another moan into their kisses.

"We have to finish this in my room." he panted, pulling away as he yanked on Jack's arm towards his bedroom.

* * *

_**A/N: **__Reviews are very appreciated, as are your speculations and ideas on how you want this to turn out. Merry Christmas, everyone! _


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